Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint Powder – review and swatches

The general rule of thumb when it comes to buying makeup is that there are brands out there that you just simply cannot go wrong with. They will vary from one person to another, it all depends on what we like and what kind of makeup we’re into, but the quality is always there and we know that it’s always money well spent. For me, one of those brands is definitely Guerlain. I tried a number of items from the brand, from eyeshadows to bronzers to mascaras, and they’ve all been totally amazing.

The problem with the true and trusted brands is that sometimes we don’t think twice about making another purchase regardless whether we actually need it or not. After all, ‘it’s Guerlain, it’s quality and I cannot go wrong with another powder, blush, bronzer, or whatever it may be, from the brand that never disappoints.

I am first to admit that I do make this kind of purchases every now and again. Spontaneous, mainly based on the way something looks rather than what it actually does… Because it goes without saying, that no matter what Guerlain product I buy, they all have an absolutely stunning packaging!!! Definitely worth any collector’s attention.

As all Guerlain products, this powder is quite strongly scented, so bear this in mind if you’re sensitive to scented makeup. It is so very fine that it is virtually impossible to overdo it and look cakey or too powdery. There may be a ‘cut off’ point somewhere but honestly, I think I applied a good few layers of it just to see what it will look like and it still managed to look like I had nothing on!! Pretty impressive. The application is such a pleasure. I personally find all Guerlain products are an absolute luxury to apply. They’re soft, almost ‘buttery’ in texture, not too powdery and the scent adds to the ‘experience’.

This powder comes in total of four shades divided by blondes and brunettes, but to be honest, it really makes no difference. Anyone can use either of them. Two are lighter and two are ever so slightly darker. There are two shades to each of these powders. One natural, powder shade with a strip of colour on the side (either in pink or apricot tone). I have mine in 00 Clair – Blondes (which is the lightest one for blondes) and to be honest, I don’t see much of the benefits of the pink toned strip. It’s supposed to add a flush of radiance to the look, but with something so sheer, it’s hardly even visible. I could have gone for the darker shade and would have been fine with it too, so don’t worry much about shades, they’re really not as far away from each other.

The whole idea of these powders is to give the skin a bit of a glow, a bit of warmth and make it look slightly sun-kissed. I certainly have not managed to detect much of a warmth or sun-kissed effect (I usually go for a sheer bronzer if I want to look sun-kissed…) As far as glow is concerned, it does seem to add a bit of ‘something’ to my skin. I cannot quite put my finger on it, though. Nothing substantial, really, and definitely not something that knocked my socks off, I cannot live without, or feel the need to add to my daily makeup routine.

It may sound like I regret my purchase, and frankly, I am not quite sure about this one… It took me a while to get to the stage of writing a review and I still seem to be on the fence about it… I don’t want to say it’s a bad item, because it’s really not, but I really don’t see it doing anything on my skin that I can actually point out. It’s a very sheer and finely milled powder, so it’s not really going to show much, but for me, it just doesn’t seem to do what it claims it’s supposed to. The ‘hardly-there’ glow that it gives is just about visible only when I have my face literally glued to the mirror. It’s not something that lasts particularly long on me anyway. Mind you, I have combo skin, so after a while, I have my very own ‘glow’ showing up…

I guess I’m a bit biased here, since I really love the brand and all of their products I’ve tried so far, but there are two sides of the coin here. Am I going to keep using it? Yes, totally. Just because I love the scent, how it applies on my skin, how fine the powder is. I will find a place for it in my makeup application somewhere. Having said that, if you are looking for a makeup item for a specific (and more visible) purpose, ie. to give you a glow, warm up the skin etc, then you may need to look for something else. However, if you are a dedicated Guerlain lover and collector, I don’t suppose there is anything I can say that will prevent you from getting it… bearing in mind beautiful (as always) packaging and everything else that makes most Guerlain products. And once you do, you will enjoy it, I’m sure. Just don’t expect anything life changing…
Item retails at £35.50 and is available at Selfridges, House of Fraser, Harrods, FeelUnique,